


It's a lifetime of service or death

by Isidar_Mithrim



Series: Drabbles & Ficlet [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Gen, Missing Scene, Sacrifice, Second War with Voldemort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 03:18:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19803643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isidar_Mithrim/pseuds/Isidar_Mithrim
Summary: A drabble for the heroic death of a lion, a drabble for the vile death of a rabbit.{The idea is for you to catch the character while reading}{Title inspired by this sentence: “Well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death.” – Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}





	1. The lion sleeps tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [E' servizio a vita, o morte](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/498493) by Isidar Mithrim. 



{Hush, my lion

Don’t fear, my lion}

The lion suffers, but he grits his teeth.

The lion wants to roar, but he shuts his lips – and _that_ is the hardest part.

More than the pain – _excruciating_.

More than Death’s rotten breath upon his neck.

Because _he knows_.

He knows if he’ll open his mouth way more than agonizing growls would slip.

It’s in this last, vital mission that he puts all his efforts: whatever the price will be, _he won’t talk_.

Eventually, they understand that too.

A flash of green light, and the lion sleeps forever.

For once, Rufus has been _Dumbledore’s man_ too… until the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Minister Rufus Scrimgeour (d. 1 August, 1997)
> 
> Work freely inspired by the song “The lion sleeps tonight”.


	2. Every morning a rabbit wakes up

Every morning in England a rabbit wakes up. He knows he must run faster than the hunter, or he will be killed.

Every morning in England a hunter wakes up. He knows he must outrun the prey, or his Lord will kill him.

When the sun comes up, it doesn’t matter whether you are a hunter or a prey.

When the Dark Mark raises, though, you’d better be the hunter, because if you're the prey, you're dead.

**

In the filthy darkness of his ratty shed, Igor Karkaroff wets his pants when he figures he’s been caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Igor Karkaroff (d. 24 June – 31 July, 1996)
> 
> Work freeily inspired by the African proverb of the gazelle and the lion.
> 
> I struggled a bit to find the right translation for the last sentence of the ‘proverb’, I hope it sounds good!
> 
> I've also realised later on that while 'rabbit' is a synonym for coward in Italian, it isn't the same in English, where I should have used 'chicken'. Problem is, it doesn't make much sense to imagine a chicken running, so I'm stuck with the rabbit ;)
> 
> Anyway, I’m always happy to hear what you think and/or your suggestions, here or on [tumblr](https://isidar-mithrim.tumblr.com) ^^


End file.
